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Biomedical subjects

W S Yang

Publications and source records attributed to W S Yang.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1995

A mutation in the promoter of the lipoprotein lipase (LPL) gene in a patient with familial combined hyperlipidemia and low LPL activity.

We have identified a naturally occurring mutation in the promoter of the lipoprotein lipase (LPL) gene. One of 20 patients with familial combined hyperlipidemia (FCHL) and reduced levels of postheparin plasma LPL activity was found to be a heterozygote carrier of this mutation. The mutation, a T-->C substitution at nt -39, occurred in the binding site of the transcription factor Oct-1. As a result, the transcriptional activity of the mutant promoter was < 15% of wild type, as determined by transfection studies in the human macrophage-like cell line THP-1. This decrease in promoter activity was observed in undifferentiated as well as in phorbol ester-differentiated THP-1 cells. Furthermore, the inductive effect of elevating the levels of intracellular cAMP was equally reduced. This mutation was not present among 20 FCHL patients with normal plasma LPL levels nor has it been reported among individuals with familial LPL deficiency. Thus, heterozygosity for LPL promoter mutations may be one of several factors that contribute to the etiology of FCHL.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1995

Inhibition of hepatitis B viral gene expression by antisense phosphorothioate oligodeoxynucleotides.

The inhibitory effect of antisense phosphorothioate oligodeoxyribonucleotides (S-oligos) on the production of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) was studied using Hep G2 cells transfected with hepatitis B virus (HBV). Synthetic antisense oligos (15-mers) directed against the cap site of mRNA transcribed from the SP II promoter and regions of the translational initiation site of the S gene showed a sequence-specific, dose-dependent inhibitory effect on HBV gene expression between concentrations of 1.0 microM-5.0 microM. Oligos directed against the middle of the S gene had little effect on HBsAg and HBeAg expression, as did non-complementary random-sequence control. The cells remained viable throughout the experiments and no morphological abnormalities were observed with antisense S-oligos at concentrations below 20.0 microM. These results suggest a therapeutic potential for antisense oligonucleotides in the treatment of patients who are chronically infected with HBV.

Cell Division↗
PubMed1995

Prednisolone non-compliance and its related factors in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

BACKGROUND: The combination of western medicine and traditional Chinese medicine is still exerting a pervading influence on symptom relief in Chinese society. The Medical behavior pattern may influence medication non-compliance by patients with chronic illness. METHODS: The study was designed to investigate prednisolone non-compliance and its related factors for patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) under giving patients' health beliefs, the influence of prednisolone and Chinese culture. All patients of the SLE Mutual Aid Group (N=570) participated in this study. A questionnaire which included medical behavior and individual attitudes was sent each by mail. The response rate was 63.7% (N=363); 329 responses were useable in the study. RESULTS: Of the 329 patients, 27.9% had taken traditional medicine or a combination of traditional medicine with western medicine within the past month; 25.4% patients were non-compliant with prescribed prednisolone during the past week. The important reasons for non-compliance were feeling better, fearing side effects and treatment by Chinese medicine. The predicting factors for prednisolone non-compliance were the effects of the prednisolone, medical feasibility, patterns of medical behavior and perceived seriousness of the disease. Physician-patient relationship served as modifying factors which influenced individual attitudes toward prednisolone non-compliance and choice of medical behavior. Traditional beliefs, influenced by Chinese culture, indirectly affected prednisolone non-compliance, but through medical behavior patterns. CONCLUSIONS: Predisolone non-compliance is quite essential for SLE patients. Findings suggested that the attributes of prednisolone and the influences of Chinese traditional medicine should be considered as well as a health belief model, when trying to improve prednisolone compliance for SLE patients in Taiwan society.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Atherogenic lipid profile and lipoprotein(a) in relation to serum albumin in haemodialysis patients.

Malnutrition in haemodialysis patients is associated with an increased cardiovascular mortality. Lipoprotein(a) (Lp(a)) is an independent risk factor for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. To evaluate the relationship between atherogenic lipid profile and serum albumin in haemodialysis patients we measured fasting serum Lp(a), total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C), triglyceride (TG), apoprotein A-I (ApoA-I), apoprotein B (ApoB) and albumin in 101 haemodialysis patients and in 46 healthy subjects as a control. The haemodialysis patients were divided into two groups on the basis of the level of serum albumin: group I, serum albumin < 4.0 g/dl; group II, serum albumin > or = 4.0 g/dl. Haemodialysis patients as a whole (n = 101, 17.1 mg/dl (10.3-30.9)) had higher serum Lp(a) than normal subjects (n = 46, 10.5 mg/dl (3.3-24)) (P < 0.05). Lp(a) in group I (n = 38, 27.1 mg/dl (14.6-35.0)) was significantly higher than in group II (n = 63, 14.5 mg/dl (7.7-21.7), P < 0.005) and normal subjects (P < 0.0005). However, serum Lp(a) level of group II was not different from those of normal subjects. There was a significant inverse correlation between serum Lp(a) and albumin concentration (rs = -0.26, P < 0.01). TC, TG, HDL-C, ApoA-I, ApoB, TC/HDL-C, and ApoA-I/ApoB ratios were not different between group I and group II. No correlation was found between albumin and TC, TG, HDL-C, TC/HDL-C, and ApoA-I/ApoB ratios. These results suggest that Lp(a) could be responsible for an increased cardiovascular mortality in haemodialysis patients with malnutrition.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Urban-rural and regional differences in infant mortality in Taiwan.

We analyzed data from death certificates for all infant deaths in Taiwan from 1981 to 1988. During this 8-year period, the crude infant mortality rate decreased from 8.9 to 5.3 per 1000 live births. Deaths due to infectious diseases, which constituted a major fraction of this mortality, also declined from 3.4 to 1.2 per 1000 live births. While infant deaths due to nearly all causes declined, deaths due to injury and accidents rose from 0.62 to 0.71 per 1000 live births, and the sudden infant death rate rose from 0.13 to 0.46. Notable geographic differences included a high death rate in the small islands off the coast and in the eastern mountainous counties (9.1-11.2/1000 live births); this rate was twice that in Taipei (4.5/1000 live births). In addition, the level of urbanisation was also an important determinant of death rate; urban areas had much lower rates than rural areas. The highest rate (15.4) was persistently observed in the rural areas where the aboriginal tribes reside. This differential rate between urban and rural areas was most prominent for the vaccine-preventable diseases; the aboriginal areas had rates that were 12.9 times those in the cities. Moreover, since neonatal deaths are severely under-reported in Taiwan, especially in less urbanized areas, our data presumably underestimate the urban-rural health differences. Our findings identify high risk areas for various causes of infant death, and indicate that more targeted intervention such as improving education and health care as well as environmental hygiene in some specific areas may be warranted.

Cause of Death↗
PubMed1994

Clinical value of DMSA planar and single photon emission computed tomography as an initial diagnostic tool in adult women with recurrent acute pyelonephritis.

Routine DMSA scintigraphy, ultrasound (US) of the kidney, intravenous pyelography (IVP) and voiding cystoureterography (VCU) were performed in 27 consecutive adult women with recurrent acute pyelonephritis (APN) during a 12-month follow-up. Both planar and single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) images were obtained for DMSA scan. DMSA scans were repeated in those patients with abnormal initial scan. DMSA-SPECT showed normal findings in 2, single renal cortical detect (RCD) in 9 and multiple RCD in 16 (including nonvisualization in 2). Of the 11 kidneys with normal findings or single RCD on DMSA-SPECT, only 1 (9%) showed vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) on VCU (grade I). A large proportion of those with multiple RCDs showed abnormal findings on IVP (44%, 7/16), US (38%, 6/16) or VCU (31%, 5/16); 63% in any of these three studies. 5 of 6 patients with VUR had multiple RCDs on DMSA-SPECT, and 3 of these 5 showed no abnormality on IVP or US. 7 patients who needed other managements besides initial standard antibiotic treatment had multiple RCDs on DMSA-SPECT. 15 normal women were also studied and showed normal DMSA-SPECT, US and IVP, in all cases. Follow-up DMSA-SPECT was done in 16 patients (7 with single RCD, 9 with multiple RCD). All 7 patients with single RCD showed improvement, in those with multiple RCDs improvement was observed in 2, no change in 7 on follow-up studies. We conclude: (1) DMSA-SPECT is a useful initial diagnostic tool in adult women with recurrent APN to identify patients who need more extensive radiological studies.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Cytomegalovirus is not specifically associated with immunoglobulin A nephropathy.

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) has been suspected to be involved in the pathogenesis of IgA nephropathy (IgAN). Whether CMV is present in renal tissue of IgAN, however, remains controversial. To determine the presence of CMV in IgAN, compared with other glomerulonephritis (GN) as disease control, polymerase chain reaction amplifying a 159-base-pair fragment of the immediate early gene of CMV and indirect immunofluorescence staining with anti-CMV monoclonal antibody were performed on 10 IgAN and 14 non-IgAN GN renal tissues. CMV DNA was detected in 6 of 10 IgAN tissues and 10 of 14 other GN by polymerase chain reaction, whereas no CMV antigen was detected in all renal tissues by immunofluorescence. This frequent observation of CMV DNA in various types of GN as well as in IgAN would suggest that CMV is not specifically associated with the pathogenesis of IgAN seen in endemic areas of CMV infection.

Antigens, Viral↗
PubMed1994

[Preparation and antigenic characterization of rat monoclonal antibodies against hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome virus].

11 hybridoma cell lines secreting monoclonal antibodies (McAbs) against hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome virus (HFRSV) were obtained in our laboratory by immunizing LOU/C rats with HFRSV Chen strain. These rat McAbs were characterized by radio-immunoprecipitation and western blotting methods, 2 directed against glycoprotein G2, 9 against nucleocapsid protein (NP) of HFRSV. The results of neutralization (NT) and hemagglutination inhibition(HI) test showed that most of the McAbs specific for NP had neither NT nor HI activities, but 2 had obvious NT and/or HI activities. It was suggested that there may be some neutralizing and hemagglutinating determinants on NP of HFRSV. Two McAbs to G2 had HI or/and NT activities. These date indicated that distinct neutralizing and hemagglutinating epitopes were located on the G2. Comparative antigenic analysis of 20 strains of HFRSV was carried out by immune horseradish peroxidase technique using 11 anti-HFRSV rat McAbs. It was found that these McAbs can be classified into group, subgroup, apodemus type and subtype specificity to HFRSV.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

Purification and characterization of human hepatic stimulator substance.

Human hepatic stimulator substance (hHSS) was purified from fetal liver with 6,000-fold decrease in protein content and 840-fold increase in specific growth stimulative activity. Purification procedures included the heating of a homogenate in 35% (W/V) Tris-HCL at 95 degrees C for 20 min, high and ultra speed centrifugation, passage over Sephadex G100 gel filtration, DEAE-cellulose ion exchange, TSK G3000 SWG high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and YWG C-18 reverse phase HPLC techniques. The most purified material (HP-HSS) revealed cell-specific and dose dependent increase in 3H-TdR incorporation into cellular DNA. As little as 38 ng of the HP-HSS per ml of culture medium produced a 2.5-fold increase in DNA synthesis. Further studies indicate that HP-HSS in combination with insulin and epidermal growth factor stimulate DNA synthesis 16-fold compared with serum and hormone free controls and nearly 3-fold over hepatoma growth with HP-HSS alone. Sodium dedecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis with silver stain and ultrascan XL laser densitrometer quantitative scanning revealed only one band at 12,800.

Carcinoma, Hepatocellular↗
PubMed1992

Recall of AIDS public service announcements and their impact on the ranking of AIDS as a national problem.

The efficacy of two public service announcements from Phase V of the "America Responds to AIDS" (ARTA) campaign was assessed at two sites. Participants were randomly assigned to view a local news program, one with an ARTA public service announcement appearing six times and the other with no AIDS public service announcements. During telephone interviews with 907 participants 1 to 3 nights after viewing, 21% at Site A and 59% at Site B could correctly recall the ARTA public service announcements. Absolute mentions of AIDS as an important national issue increased.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1992

Therapeutic effect of guar gum in patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.

Diets with a high-fiber content have been shown to produce some beneficial effects on metabolic factors in subjects with NIDDM. However, some controversies still exist. In this report, the long-term effect of guar gum (Guarina) on both glycemic and blood lipid profiles was assessed in a randomized, double-blind and cross-over study on 16 (seven male and nine female) subjects with NIDDM. Each subject received placebo (P) and Guarina (G) treatment for two eight-week periods separated by a four-week period to facilitate wash-out. Fasting plasma glucose levels showed significant improvement during G treatment but not during P treatment (151.7 +/- 7.9 vs 168.6 +/- 12.2 mg/dl, p less than 0.01 by paired Student's t test). Hemoglobin Alc levels decreased significantly during G treatment but not during P treatment (6.9 +/- 0.2 vs 7.2 +/- 0.8%, p less than 0.001). Fasting insulin concentrations also showed significant lowering during G treatment but not during P treatment (18.3 +/- 2.1 vs 23.1 +/- 2.9 U/ml, p less than 0.005). Other variables, including serum total cholesterol, triglyceride, HDLc, LDLc, sodium, potassium, chloride, magnesium and calcium levels showed no significant changes during G or P treatment. Ten out of the 16 patients (62.5%) suffered from side effects; these included abdominal cramps (one case), diarrhea (seven cases) and skin itching (one case). In conclusion, guar gum effectively lowers fasting plasma glucose and HbAlc levels in subjects with NIDDM. Hyperinsulinemia could also be ameliorated. The effectiveness and side effects of guar gum treatment should be cautiously evaluated in each NIDDM subject.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

[Studies on negative conversion of schistosome-infected snails in mountainous region of Yunnan].

The monthly cercaria shedding of 90 artificially infected Oncomelania snails was observed under a field condition in mountainous region, Shitoudi Village, Weishan County, Yunnan Province. The results showed that 20% of teh snails shed cercaria monthly, 42.2% could shed irregularly and 37.8% stopped releasing cercariae after several times of shedding. Final direction of the snails showed that none cercaria or sporocyst could be found in part of the snails. A total of 304 naturally infected snails were observed individually every month. Samples were taken each month from the snails which did not shed cercaria, then dissected and examined. The negative conversion rate was calculated in the second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth month after the first shedding, which were 36.1, 50.0, 41.0, 39.8 and 2.6% respectively.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Causes and consequences of increase in child survival rates: ethnoepidemiology among the Hmong of Thailand.

The Hmong "hill tribe" minority in Thailand has much higher exposure to factors usually associated with risk of child mortality (high fertility, low status of women, low education, less use of modern medical care for births, exposure to warfare, economic and physical disruption, and poor hygienic conditions) than the rural ethnic Thai population. Nonetheless, infant mortality has declined from over 120 per 1000 to under 50 per 1000 live births among both these populations in the past 30 years. The reason for the rapid increase in child survival among the Hmong appears to be better access to and more use of modern curative and preventive medical care associated with road construction rather than major changes in social or hygienic conditions. Conventional wisdom suggests that high fertility is both a cause and a consequence of high infant and child mortality and that parents will not reduce fertility until they see that mortality has declined. Most Hmong parents recognize the decline in child mortality and attribute it to better access to modern medical care. Most Hmong parents also say that, if they were starting to have children now, they would want to have fewer children. Fear of child death is infrequently mentioned as a motive for having more children, and the perceived decline in child mortality is rarely mentioned as a reason for reduced fertility. Most Hmong parents explain their desired family size in terms of economic conditions rather than perceived risk of child mortality. Results of this study suggest that fertility and child mortality can vary independently of one another and that major reductions in child mortality can be accomplished without waiting for major social changes (e.g., improved education or status of women) or major reductions in fertility.

Child Health Services↗
PubMed1992

Hepatic stimulator substance from human fetal liver for treatment of experimental hepatic failure.

The authors previously reported the successful reversal of lethal D-Gal induced hepatic necrosis in rats by human hepatic stimulator substance (hHSS), a liver specific growth factor partially purified from human fetal liver cells, which promoted hepatocyte proliferation. In this study, they further investigated the mechanism of hHSS in improving survival of experimental acute hepatic failure. Our results demonstrated that the level of alanine transaminase and endotoxin in the plasma and lipid peroxides in the liver of chemically poisoned rats were reduced by hHSS to different extent at different periods of observation compared with the saline control group. The apparent recovery of liver function and the increase of 3H-TdR incorporation into hepatic DNA correlated with the morphologic changes observed under light and electron microscopes, showing that the damages inflicted on the cellular and subcellular structure in the liver of hHSS-treated rats were greatly alleviated and rapidly repaired. Therefore, hHSS, which can prevent liver deterioration and promote hepatocyte regeneration, may be a new hepatic stimulator factor readily available for clinical use.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Localization and changes of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome virus in lymphocyte subpopulation.

Double-labeled immunocytochemistry was used for studying the localization and distribution of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome virus (HFRSV) antigen in the peripheral blood lymphocyte subpopulations in HFRS patients and the quantitative changes of these subpopulations. It was found that HFRSV might infect different subpopulations of lymphocytes. The infection rate of B cells (31.3%) was significantly higher than that of T cells (8.5%), and the infection rate of CD8+ subpopulation (10.5%) was significantly higher than that of CD4+ subpopulation (6.1%). The infection rates of HLA-DR+ cells and Tac+ cells were 2.5% and less than 0.5%, respectively. From febrile to oliguric stage, the number of CD8+ cells increased gradually, leading to a decrease and reverse of CD4/CD8 ratio, while the number of CD4+ cells remained almost unchanged. The appearance and disappearance of HFRSV in lymphocytes were closely associated with the dynamic changes of CD4/CD8 ratio and HLA-DR and Tac expressions. The results suggested that there were certain differences in HFRSV infectivity of different lymphocyte subpopulations, which might be due to the disorders of immunoregulation and immunopathology of HFRS.

Antigens, Viral↗